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Ephemera from the Swinging Hammer Horror Film – Dracula A.D. 1972

Dracula A.D. 1972 was the seventh Hammer film featuring Dracula and the sixth to star Christopher Lee in the title role. Peter Cushing returned as Van Helsing for the first time since the Brides of Dracula in 1960. It was the first Hammer film since the original 1958 ‘Dracula’ that featured both Lee and Cushing in their infamous roles. Unlike all the other Hammer Dracula films produced up to that point. Dracula A.D. 1972 was set in a contemporary setting in a last ditch attempt to update the Dracula legend for modern audience.

Dracula is killed in 1872 by Lawrence Van Helsing, and in 1972, a young man named Johnny Alucard (Christopher Neame) has tricked a group of young Chelsea ‘hippies’ into releasing the vampire again. Dracula finds himself in modern and swinging world and sets out to get revenge on his mortal enemy the Van Helsings by going after Lawrence Van Helsing’s great-granddaughter Jessica (Stephanie Beacham).

After watching the film the film critic Roger Ebert wrote: “This isn’t a terrific rationale for another horror flick but, given Miss Beacham’s ability to heave, and her bosom to heave with, it will have to do.”